Kerry's support for Obama earns him a primary foe

JOAN VENNOCHI

Published 10:00 pm, Friday, June 13, 2008

For the first time in 24 years, Sen. John Kerry faces a Democratic primary challenge. For that, he blames Hillary Clinton.

Some of Clinton's Massachusetts supporters are still displeased about Kerry's decision to back Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign. To send him a message, some helped Gloucester lawyer Ed O'Reilly get 22.5 percent of the delegate vote at last Saturday's Democratic Party convention, either by voting present or voting outright for Kerry's opponent.

"I ran Senator Clinton's campaign in Massachusetts," said Roger Lau, who is now Kerry's reelection campaign manager. "I know how much intensity and passion motivated her enormous base of supporters. It's no secret that the passion didn't dissipate ... Plenty of delegates who have been our friends a long time said openly that Senator Kerry had to answer for his endorsement, and they felt liberated to send a message because Kerry was going to win renomination so handily."

Lau said that O'Reilly wouldn't have made the ballot "were it not for John Kerry's early endorsement" of Obama. O'Reilly said support from unhappy Clinton supporters "was not a huge factor, but it had some bearing."

O'Reilly, who needed 15 percent to secure a spot on the primary ballot, might have grabbed an even higher percentage of the 2,574 ballots cast. But Kerry helped neutralize the threat by meeting with a small group of Clinton supporters the night before the state convention. The group included Deborah Goldberg, an activist and unsuccessful former candidate for lieutenant governor, Boston City Council president Maureen Feeney, and state Reps. Kay Khan and Liz Malia.

The Bay State's junior senator declined one of their requests, to publicly call upon Obama to consider Clinton as his running mate. But, according to one person at the meeting, Kerry told them, "I wouldn't want to be the one to tell Barack Obama what to do. But he must absolutely consider her (Clinton)."

Kerry complied with another request, that he praise Clinton and address the sexism issue. "As historic as this campaign has been, sadly it has also reminded us that sexism and racism are not yet defeated in America," he said in his convention speech.

Kerry was not alone in backing Obama over Clinton. Sen. Ted Kennedy and Gov. Deval Patrick also endorsed the Illinois senator.

But anger at Kennedy dissolved after he was recently diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. And Patrick's endorsement of Obama is more easily accepted within the context of their longstanding political and personal relationship.

O'Reilly's challenge is more of a political embarrassment than a genuine threat. Still, the ability of a former firefighter and city councilor to earn a spot on the ballot against an incumbent U.S. senator points to dissatisfaction beyond disaffected Clinton backers.

A Kerry campaign official said that "definitely the Hillary Clinton factor" accounts for some of O'Reilly's showing. But, the official, who did not want to be named, acknowledged that "some people, frankly, are not happy with John Kerry."

O'Reilly said that Clinton backers weren't upset simply because Kerry endorsed another candidate, but because "he made the endorsement for his own political ambition. That's where the anger comes from." For that reason, O'Reilly believes he is tapping into a deeper frustration.

Some O'Reilly supporters object to Kerry's vote to authorize the U.S. invasion of Iraq, which they also view as overtly political, when he was positioning himself for his own failed White House run. Some O'Reilly supporters are also critical of Kerry's support for civil unions instead of gay marriage. But above all, said O'Reilly, "people want change."

It's unlikely Massachusetts Democrats will oust a senator who has not had a primary opponent since 1984. But O'Reilly's success speaks to Kerry's somewhat awkward place in Massachusetts politics. Like all politicians, he has a cadre of loyalists who believe in him. But whether it's because he always operated in Kennedy's shadow and by comparison lacks a common touch and core set of principles, he is not beloved and often criticized.

And now, by backing Obama over Clinton, Kerry faces an opponent. That's not the kind of change he wants voters to believe in.